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The Potential for Biological Control of the South African Weed Polygala Myrtifolia

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Eleventh Australian Weeds Conference Proceedings THE POTENTIAL FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEED POLYGALA MYRTIFOLIA R.J. AdairA and S. NeserB A CRC for Weed Management Systems, Keith Turnbull Research Institute, PO Box 48, Frankston 3199, Australia B Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Council, Private Bag X134, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa Summary Polygala myrtifolia is a South African shrub only rarely. This contrasts greatly with plants in South that invades natural ecosystems in southern Australia. Africa, which are frequently hosts to a range of damaging Biological control is likely to be required to suppress in- organisms. festations in the longer term. In South Africa, several or- ganisms with potential as biological control agents are MATERIALS AND METHODS identified: Aceria myrtifoliae , Duffyoemida barkeri, During January and February 1996, P. myrtifolia at 32 ?Uredo polygalae, a stem-galling agromyzid, a stem-bor- sites ranging from Cape Town (33° 56S, 18°28E) to ing cerambycid, a stem and crown boring cossid, a bud Boesmansriviermond (33°41S, 26°40E) in the eastern and flower feeding psyllid and three cecidomyiid species. Cape, South Africa were haphazardly examined for Priority should be given to evaluating A. myrtifoliae. pathogens and phytophagous arthropods. Flowers, fruits, foliage, stems, crowns and roots were examined. Adults INTRODUCTION were collected or immatures were reared for identifica- The woody shrub Polygala myrtifolia L. is native to tion. South Africa where it is widely distributed in coastal and mountainous near-coastal areas of the western Cape, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The species is mor- Around 25 species were found on P. myrtifolia of which phologically highly variable, with some forms recognised 13 would be suitable for evaluation as potential biologi- as distinct taxonomic entities (Levyns 1955). The earli- cal control agents. Those with the greatest potential in- est collection of P. myrtifolia in Australia is from Mel- clude the eriophyid mite Aceria myrtifoliae Meyer & bourne in 1886, but the plant was available from nursery Ueckermann (Meyer and Ueckermann 1996), an uniden- catalogues in Adelaide from at least 1845 (Carter et al. tified psyllid that feeds on flower buds, the stem-boring 1990). As P. myrtifolia has attractive purple and white cerambycid Duffyoemida barkeri Martins and an uniden- flowers which are present throughout the year, it is highly tified, gregarious stem and crown boring cossid moth that likely the species was introduced as a garden ornamen- frequently causes damage to the plant. A rust fungus, tal. It has subsequently become naturalized in native veg- probably Uredo polygalae Kalchbrenner and a stem-gall- etation in coastal areas of Victoria, New South Wales, ing agromyzid also offer prospects as potential biological Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia control agents. Similarly, three unidentified cecido- (Carter et al. 1990). In Victoria and South Australia, myiids, one that causes shoot-tip galls, another that bur- large infestations occur on calcareous soils with a history rows under bark deforming twigs and another free-living of land disturbance. Minor infestations occur in the other gregarious species that damages buds and flowers are states. Dense infestations of P. myrtifolia form a closed worth consideration. In South Africa, P. myrtifolia was understorey canopy consisting of mature plants and large widely grown as an ornamental, but now often requires numbers of juveniles. This appears to reduce species treatment for infestations of A. myrtifolia which largely richness and abundance and the regeneration potential of suppresses flowering in various regions. Wild native vegetation. As coastal areas are exposed to high populations of P. myrtifolia may also be severely at- levels of natural and human-induced disturbance, the dis- tacked, particularly in the eastern Cape. Eriophyids are tribution and status of P. myrtifolia as an environmental typically host specific (Jeppson et al. 1975) and some weed in southern Australia is likely to increase unless cause significant damage to their host. We suggest that control measures are implemented. The use of herbicides A. myrtifoliae should be the first organism to be consid- and fire for the suppression of P. myrtifolia have not been ered for further evaluation as a biological control agent. adequately evaluated, but are likely to be useful for small P. myrtifolia has not been nominated as a target for bio- and accessible infestations. Biological control is consid- logical control, but given that its status as an environ- ered the only long-term control option for large, wide- mental weed is likely to increase and adequate control spread or inaccessible infestations. In Australia, few phy- measures are not available, research towards biologi- tophagous organisms occur on P. myrtifolia, and then cal control seems warranted. The commonly cultivated 438 Eleventh Australian Weeds Conference Proceedings P. myrtifolia var. grandiflora may be susceptible to at- tack by A. myrtifoliae, although occurrences of the mite have not been reported on this taxon in South Africa. Similarly, Australian native Polygalaceae particularly perennial species, require priority evaluation for suscep- tibility to A. myrtifoliae. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The assistance of John Scott with field collection is greatly appreciated. Mike Morris, Beth Grobbelaar, Rolf Oberprieler and Marianne Horak kindly provided identi- fications for voucher specimens. Penny Edwards found time at short notice to review this manuscript. REFERENCES Carter, R.J., Cooke, D.A., Chapman, G. and Sheridan, P. (1990). South African milkworts, Polygala spp., in southern Australia. Proceedings of the Ninth Australian Weeds Conference, pp. 116-20. Jeppson, L.R., Keifer, H.H. and Baker, E.W. (1975). Mites injurious to economic plants. (University of California Press, Berkeley). Levyns, M. (1955). The species of Polygala in the south- western Cape Province. Journal of South African Botany Volume XXI Part 1. Meyer, M.K.P. Smith and Ueckermann, E.A. (1996). Three new species of Aceria (Acari: Eriophyidae) from South African Polygalaceae and Polygonaceae. International Journal of Acarology 22, 17-22. 439.
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